In 2012, for the fourth year in a row, the Ford Fiesta was again the top-selling car model in Great Britain. The Vauxhall Corsa was the second most popular car in Britain followed by the Ford Focus. German cars again sold well in Britain in 2012.

Top-Ten List of Best-Selling Cars in the UK in 2012

According to new passenger vehicle registration data released by the SMMT, the top ten most popular car models in Great Britain in 2012 were:

Ford Fiesta – 109,265

Vauxhall Corsa – 89,434

Ford Focus – 83,115

Vauxhall Astra – 63,023

Volkswagen Golf – 62,021

Nissan Qashqai – 45,675

BMW 3 Series – 44,521

Volkswagen Polo – 41,901

Mercedes C Class – 37,261

BMW 1 Series – 34,488

Changes in the Top-Ten List of Best-Selling Cars in Britain in 2012

There were more changes than usual in the composition of the list of the top ten most popular car models in Britain in 2012. However, at the top of the list, the Ford Fiesta remained Britain’s favorite car as it has been since 2009. Ford sold almost a thousand more Fiestas per month in the UK in 2012 than in 2011.

A similar performance by Vauxhall saw the Corsa as the second most popular car in the UK in 2012. The Ford Focus slipped to third place by selling only hundred cars more per month.

The Vauxhall Astra and Volkswagen Golf swapped positions. Fourth place in 2011 was the highest position ever in the UK for the Golf. In 2011, Volkswagen sold less than 800 more Golfs than Vauxhall sold Astras and in 2012 the positions were reversed with just over a thousand more Astras sold than Golfs. Volkswagen will hope to regain form in 2013 with the launch of the Golf VII.

The Nissan Qasqhai improved from ninth last year to sixth most popular car model in Britain in 2012. Last year’s number six, the Vauxhall Insignia, dropped off the list.

The rest of the top ten most popular cars in Britain in 2012 were all German cars. The BMW 3 Series improved another place from last year while the aging VW Polo slipped another place down the list.

The Mercedes Benz C Class entered the top-ten list of best-selling car models in Britain for the first time at ninth. The Mini dropped out of the list from last year to be replaced by the BMW 1 Series, which made its first appearance on the list of top-ten most popular cars in Britain.